Page 3169 - Week 15 - Thursday, 14 December 1989
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Mr Kaine: Mr Deputy Speaker, the speaker is clearly reflecting on your decision and I think he should be brought to order.
MR DEPUTY SPEAKER: Yes, thank you, Chief Minister. Just continue your speech, Mr Whalan.
MR WHALAN: Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I was saying that in the legal profession the Attorney-General is viewed with derision. They laugh. They laugh at your Attorney-General. That is the confidence that they have in the Attorney-General. They said to me, "Even Bill Stefaniak would be better". I find that an interesting comment.
Then Mr Collaery discussed the question of the public service. Now, in relation to the public service it is clear that there is a desperate problem of morale. The public service has been dismantled, shaken up and put in the most extraordinary pattern of responsibilities that you can imagine, as seen by this.
We are waiting. It is obvious that the publicity related to the clear early intentions of these people to sack public servants has embarrassed them and they have deferred. They are embarrassed by the publicity associated with their early intentions to sack people, and that has caused them to withdraw and back away from that particular proposal. But it will be interesting to see what time does reveal because in that context, when time passes, that is when we will see the orgy of sackings.
The sackings will not be overt but rather people will be forced to resign. People will leave in despair of the maladministration. People's morale will be so deliberately undermined that they will see no future in the service of this ACT Government. Already we see a flood of people away from the public service of the ACT. Some of the best officers are leaving the public service of the ACT because of the arrival of this Government.
Mr Humphries: Name one.
Mr Jensen: Give us one.
MR WHALAN: They are people - - -
Mr Jensen: Just name one.
Mr Humphries: Name one.
MR WHALAN: Dr Robert Care, a very senior public servant. I must say, and I take this opportunity of placing it on record, that he is one of the most excellent public servants that we have had in the service of the ACT Administration. One of the things which distinguishes the service in the ACT is the very high quality of the public servants and the commitment that they gave under the Follett Government.
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